Tube hoist

Glass tubing is extremely important for technical applications. However, the hot forming and cooling processes required to manufacture them are among the most energy-intensive processes in the world. In a single-stage process, the tubes are drawn directly from the melt and separated during the drawing process. This separation step leads to a high reject rate due to glass breakage.
The project aims to develop a process technology that enables the automated separation of glass tubes using CO₂ laser blasting during production. The aim is to develop a process that can be integrated into the production process for different diameters, enables individual tube lengths and produces stable and micro-crack-free edges. The process technology is to be realized by developing a mirror that rotates inside the tube. The new cutting technology makes a significant contribution to energy and resource efficiency in glass production: the edge quality on the tube is significantly improved, which reduces waste during production.